Wat Mahathat means “Monastery of the Great Relic.” This is because a relic of The Buddha was housed in the Chedi here. This temple was the largest and center of the religion in Ayutthaya being built around the mid to late 1300’s. In 1767, the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya and burned Mahathat. They also decapitated all the Buddha statues you see at this location.  The grounds here are beautiful. Chedi are dotted around and you can see how age is wearing on the brick structures as some are learning one way or another.

Wat Ayutthaya is probably best known for the Buddha head that is encased in the roots of a tree. Many people come here just to see this. But it is worth taking the time to wander around and see the remains of this important temple.  Note, much of this site is exposed completely to the sun. Bring a hat, water and sun block. Rest when you find some shade, most of which is at the location of the Buddha head in the roots of the tree.

As mentioned, the Buddha Head that is entwined in the trunk/roots of a Banyan tree at Wat Mahathat. I have seen pictures of this many times over the years. When I first saw this in person it was a surreal feeling. I thought the head was bigger was my first thought. I was fortunate no one else was visiting the day I was here.  Much speculation exists on how the Buddha Head came to be embedded in this tree. Some believe the head simply feel off a Buddha statue and landed at the base of this tree. Others believe that it was among the number of items being stolen by thieves that did not have space to take it with them or were hiding it for a return visit.  What ever the cause, it is a very impressive sight. The tree provides plenty of shade and protection against the elements. The head is near the entrance of Wat Mahathat. Simply turn right and walk toward the shaded area near the wall along the road you enter the park from.

There is a 50 Baht entrance fee for foreigners!
Directions: At the corner of Chikun Alley and Naresuan Alley. It is also bordered by Rama Public Park

This temple sits on the banks of Chao Phraya on the outskirts of the main city of Ayutthaya. The main attraction here is a seated Buddha made of stucco but covered in gold leaf. The Buddha is 57 feet tall which is very large for a seated Buddha and was constructed in 1325. It is very popular with Chinese tourist and the parking area is often crowded with tour buses.  There is no charge to enter this temple. The Buddha is very impressive. There are smaller Buddha figures around the outer walkway in the temple.  Very impressive and worth a visit.

Directions: Off of Route 3477 where the Pa Sak river feeds into the Chao Phraya.

This monastery is also known as Wat Phra Chao Phya-thai and Wat Yai Chai-mongkol. The main Chedi here stands 62 meters high and took over 28,000 tons of bricks to construct. The chedi was constructed in 1357 by King U-Thong for monks who had been studying Buddhism in Ceylon. Upon their return, the King named the Monastery, Wat Chao Phya-thai which means “The Temple of the Supreme Patriarch.”   Later, the chedi was renamed Phra Chedi Chai-mongkol, meaning Auspicious Victory, to commemorate a victory over the Burmese. It is a bit unclear how exactly the named transferred from Chai-Mongkol to Chai-Mongkhon.

It is a beautiful location and the chedi are fairly well preserved. There is much erosion of the brick, especially on the main chedi and steps ascending to the top. The grounds are open with very little shade. Surrounding the main chedi are lines of ceramic Buddhas.  A very impressive sight, especially from the top of the chedi.  The climb to the top of the main chedi is steep and the brick stairs are very eroded.  The descent is more precarious than going up so take care when coming down.  The top has excellent views in all directions.  I was here early in the morning and the lighting seemed to work out very well.  Inside the Chedi there are several gold leaf Buddhas and a shaft. I could not find any information on the shaft.  It is worthwhile to climb the stairs and get an overview of the entire grounds.

I was surprised to see this large reclining Buddha at Wat Yai Chaimongkhon. It is 7 meters long and was constructed during the period of King Naresuan’s reign from 1590 to 1605. The Buddha was restored in 1965. Many tourist and locals come to visit just for the Reclining Buddha. What seems to be a tradition is to press gold leaf or coins on the exposed feet of the Buddha.

There is a 20 Baht fee to enter. Well worth it!

The original capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and was the second capital of Siam. The city was one of the largest and most important of the region and remained like this between the 14th and 18th century. In 1767, the Burmese Army invaded Ayutthaya and burned the city to the ground. All the inhabitants of Ayutthaya left the city and it was never rebuilt to the status it was.

Today Ayutthaya is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The ruins of the old city are amazing to explore. This is a great day trip from Bangkok or take your time and spend a few days.

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